The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnostic device and, more particularly, to an ultrasound diagnostic device having a unique user interface and control circuitry including linear distance measurement and user localization ability in a portable ultrasound diagnostic device.
Portable ultrasound systems are known in the ultrasound equipment industry. U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,412, issued on Mar. 3, 1998 to Advanced Technologies Laboratories, Inc., of Bothell, Wash., discloses such a system. Although the known portable ultrasound systems have been designed to facilitate ease of use and portability, none of the known systems provide a total solution in terms of ergonomics, imaging acquisition and processing, and display image quality. For example, a system might be easy to carry because it is relatively small, but cumbersome to operate because the user must manipulate the ultrasound transducer, which may be a rather bulky piece of equipment, with one hand, while holding the ultrasound diagnostic device in the other hand. Even if the user does not hold the ultrasound diagnostic device, but rather, places it on a stable surface, the user may have difficulty viewing the image due to limitations relating to the adjustability of the display.
To provide another example, even if the ultrasound diagnostic device has good adjustability with respect to the display, the enclosure may be designed such that it must be placed on a relatively stable, flat surface when not being held by the user. In some environments, such as at the scene of an automobile accident, a stable, flat surface may not be available. This may result in the user having to hold the ultrasound diagnostic device in one hand while using the other hand to manipulate the transducer of the ultrasound diagnostic device. This prevents the user from being able to use a hand to steady themselves while obtaining diagnostic measurements, which may be important in certain environments.
Other shortcomings of today""s ultrasound diagnostic devices is that the amount of information required to be supplied by the user can be excessive. Typically, ultrasound diagnostic device user interfaces are modeled on a xe2x80x9cmenu drivenxe2x80x9d approach. In such user interfaces, each function key or input device may have multiple functions. These functions are typically accessed through the use of menus that are presented to the user on the display of the device. While typically providing much detail and many options with respect to the ultrasound diagnostic device, these menus are also typically complicated and not easily understood and navigable by someone having only a modest level of understanding and experience with ultrasound diagnostic device controls.
Another shortcoming of ultrasound diagnostic devices is that, while these devices are sold in many countries, the above-described menu-driven interface does not easily lend itself to localization in different countries. For example, if an ultrasound diagnostic device is sold in multiple countries, a different version of the user interface is required for each country. In the past, ultrasound products have been localized by creating different product versions for different local languages. Unfortunately, this necessitates translation into multiple languages and requires that multiple software versions, multiple keypad language indicators and multiple display conventions, depending on the country in which the device is sold and operated, be created. This in turn requires that multiple configurations of the same ultrasound diagnostic device be manufactured, tested, stocked, and maintained, thus increasing cost and complicating production.
These are only examples of some of the shortcomings of known portable ultrasound diagnostic systems. These examples demonstrate that none of the known systems provide an overall solution in terms of ergonomics, ease of use by those having limited experience with ultrasound diagnostic equipment, imaging acquisition and processing capability, image display quality, and user localization. Accordingly, a need exists for a portable ultrasound diagnostic device which meets all of these goals.
The invention provides an ultrasound diagnostic device for acquiring and processing ultrasound images. The device comprises a console portion and a display portion. The console portion comprises a control panel, which comprises a plurality of input keys. A user may input commands on the control panel by actuating one or more keys on the control panel. The console portion comprises control circuitry, which controls the operations of the ultrasound imaging device. The control circuitry receives input signals from the control panel. The input signals correspond to commands entered by the user on the control panel. The control circuitry processes the signals and performs operations on an ultrasound image being displayed on a display. The ultrasound images being displayed on the display may be modified by the control circuitry in response to one or more keys of the control panel being actuated by the user. A transducer assembly connected to the console portion is used by the user to acquire ultrasound image information from a subject.
Each of the keys on the console portion represent a particular function to be performed by the control circuitry on image information acquired by the transducer assembly. This xe2x80x9cone button per functionxe2x80x9d feature of the invention utilizes icons, which inform the user of the function of each key. This feature of the invention renders the control panel suitable for use all over the world by those having limited experience with ultrasound diagnostic equipment since the icons are capable of being understood by those having limited ultrasound diagnostic experience and by people of different nationalities. The size and weight of the system are reduced by simplifying the system by offering the user the minimal set of controls necessary to obtain a diagnostic quality ultrasound image.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the ultrasound diagnostic device includes logic configured to allow the device to be localized by the user based on a number of different parameters, including, but not limited to, language, date appearance convention and decimal point convention.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.